AN: Hey guys, new chapter! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: We do not own Helluva Boss and the Angel AU concet is originally EmositeCC's idea who we were given permission to use!

Secrets and Snipers

Part 2

By TalosLives & CrackedInkWell

Edited by Anon

Based on EMositeCC's AngelAUSeries

"So, have you decided what you'd like?" the waitress asked.

"I guess." Octavia glanced at the menu again. "Is the eggplant parmigiana good?"

"Oh yeah, everything's amazing here." She jotted it down on a notepad. "That comes with a soup or salad as a side, so you're given a choice of spinach gnocchi soup or a Caesar salad."

"Um… the soup?"

"Excellent choice." She turned to Stolas. "And you, sir?"

Stolas hummed. In one hand was a glass of a strawberry spiked lemonade with a straw sticking out, and in the other was the menu. "I'll have the house special, if you don't mind."

"The Ossobuco?"

"That's the one. Does that come with risotto alla milanese, or polenta?"

"Ours come with a side of risotto."

"Excellent." Stolas gathered up the menus to hand them back to the waitress.

Once the waitress told them they'd have their meals soon and left, Stolas looked over the restaurant. Even though he hadn't been here in years, it didn't change all that much except that it didn't smell of cigarette smoke. Sitting near a corner by the windows that looked out to the street, there was a quaint feel to the bustling, talkative restaurant of wooden, uniformed chairs that stood dutifully by tables clothed in gold and white. The walls' lower half was lined in red maple, and the upper half consisted of a burgundy yellow colored wallpaper that hung oil paintings and old family photographs with postcards of the Italian countryside. Above them, the ample space was lit with black cast-iron chandeliers of various kinds. Staff in white went to and fro from tables of the talkative New Yorkers that were deep in their little conversations or the food being served to them.

Among the noise, the random chatter, the muffled speakers playing Dean Martin songs, and the clinking of plates, Stolas had realized something after a sip of his lemonade. Across from him, Octavia had gone quiet. Her attention gazed out to the windows and the passersby on the street. A look of melancholy painted over his daughter's disguised face.

"Um…" Stolas cleared his throat, getting her attention. "Are you enjoying our day trip so far?"

" Huh? Oh yeah, I am." Octavia nodded, having snapped out of a daydream. "Sorry, my head was elsewhere. But yeah, I think I needed this. Still," she glanced out the window, but briefly this time, "it's a pleasant surprise. I had no idea what to expect from this place. Being among people who aren't dead yet, and how mindbogglingly diverse they are."

"Diverse. Yes, that is a perfect word," Stolas agreed. "Every place on this planet has a different feel. Each country… Well, think of it like rings where each place has its own identity, culture, history, rules, etc. And the people there come in all sorts, some are better than others, but going to cities, towns, even homes is like getting a box of chocolate - you'll never know what you're going to get."

"I can see that." Octavia nodded. "Makes me wonder what other places in the world are like."

"It depends. Some pride in sophistication like here or in London, Paris, Tokyo, or Sydney. And that's just from cities. Others… well… you should outright avoid it for various reasons."

"Such as?"

"For example, Antarctica. It's just… well, a shithole as far as the eye can see. Nothing but ice in every direction that most humans try to avoid as much as possible. There are also places at war or overly paranoid such as North Korea or a good chunk of the Middle East. But that's what also makes Earth so fascinating. It's not just one big ring made out of this or that. It's a whole bunch of things mixed together, equal parts beautiful and horrifying, awful and brilliant."

"At least none of those places have Mum in them." Octavia shivered at the thought. "Satan, I hope not."

"I see what you mean." Stolas took a sip of his lemonade. He didn't say it out loud, but he agreed with his daughter. He'd once heard that ' Hell is other people ,' and in his mind, even in the most beautiful places in this world, just having that entitled, bitter bitch around would sour everything. After a beat, however, he decided to change the subject. "So… there is something I am curious about."

"What?"

Setting the glass down, his hands holding up his fake chin, he asked, "I know you'll be turning eighteen soon, but I am curious to know what you want to do."

"Do?" Octavia blinked.

"Just humor me for a minute. Let's say you are now eighteen years old," he snapped his fingers, "just like that! You're a legal adult, your own guardian. Now that you've gained total independence, what do you want to do going forward?"

"Easy." Octavia leaned in her seat and folded her arms. "I'd pack my things, tell Mum to fuck off, and hopefully stay with you. But after that…?" She frowned. "Ya know, it's weird. I've wanted to get away from her so much, to stop being harassed that I must be the perfect princess or I would kick start the apocalypse that… to be honest, I… I don't really know what to do."

"Well, do you want to go to college? Or take up a job somewhere? No, scratch that. Let's try this. If you had it your way, where money, education, and skill were no object - what kind of career would you want to have?"

Octavia hummed in thought. "If it was up to me," she finally said, "and if I knew what I was doing, I'd probably start a band."

" Ohh! Something musical?"

"I mean… even when things get shitty with Mum, just being able to listen to an album instead of her kept me sane. Really, I don't know what I would do without it. Still, the idea of not just listening but making it… I don't have a goddamn clue how to write a song or play the guitar, but if I did - I would."

"You know, I can see you doing something like that." Stolas smiled. "Yes, there would be some planning involved such as taking classes and such - but I think it can be done."

"That," Octavia added, "and maybe going to a university wouldn't hurt. I mean, since I don't know what I want, I would get some idea of what I might do. At least something to fall back on in case the band thing blows up in my face."

"That is a smart move. I would be more than willing to support you on that." Stolas picked up his glass when a thought came to him. "It would be a great place to meet some handsome boys."

" Ugh! " Octavia ground, covering her face. "Oh, c'mon! Not you too!"

"What?" Stolas blinked. "Girls, perhaps?"

"No, no, just, you and Mum are pushing me into a relationship."

"Now wait a minute, I'm not pushing you into anything… But I am curious." This got a sharp, hardened look from his daughter. "Hear me out. It does bring up something that I am wondering about. I want to hear this from you… are you interested in dating if given a chance?"

Octavia let out a sigh. "I don't know. I don't think I'm ready for something like that. Hell, I don't even feel ready to be with someone yet. I mean… eventually, I might? But right now…? I don't have anybody in mind that I want to date. I haven't met anyone with whom I want to be more than just a friend. Still, if I'm going to, I want it to be on my own terms and not because that guy is the son of Duke So-And-So of Who-Gives-a-Fuck. I don't want to date someone because I have to, but because I want to."

"Believe me when I say that I deeply sympathize." Stolas nodded in agreement. For a moment, the image of Blitzo came to his mind's eye, "How would… never mind."

"Hm?"

"Oh, nothing, just… and let's just say what if…." He scratched the back of his neck, a light pink blush on his cheeks. "What if I were to say… take up dating again? I realized I haven't talked to you about this since I…"

"Came out."

"Yes," he nodded. "I agree that any affairs of the heart should be personal, but how would you feel if I were to start dating men?"

Octavia deadpanned. "Dad. You're an adult. It's not my job to tell you what to do. I mean, who am I, Mum? I don't care if you're gay or not. Nor do I care who you date… except for two things."

"That being?" Stolas raised an eyebrow.

Octavia raised a finger, "One, if I do start dating, for the love of Lucifer, don't fuck my boyfriend. Mum, I could see her try doing something like that, but it would be especially hurtful if you did it."

"I would never do something like that, even if he asked."

"And two," she raised a second finger, "this should go without saying, but whoever you end up going out with, just make sure that the guy isn't like a gender swap version of Mum. I hate the idea of you being pushed around again."

Stolas winced. "Oh, believe me, I'm going to avoid making that mistake twice."

Just then, the waitress returned, handing them their sides. Octavia with a small bowl of soup and Stolas a plate of risotto. Picking up a spoon, Octavia stirred up the soup and had a few mouthfuls when a thought came to mind.

"So… why?"

"Hm? Why what?" Stolas blinked.

"Why did you ask me if I'm okay with you dating again?" Then, after a beat, "Hang on, are you saying you're seeing someone?"

The Shubert theater was an excellent place to set up a sniper's nest. Getting to the top floor was easy, owing to the scaffolding running up the theater's side. At the top was a French-style, green copper roof with plenty of windows that looked out onto the street. Inside was an empty, attic-like space with nothing much there except for boxes of costumes and props. Going over to a pair of windows that looked out to a corner of intersecting streets, he saw the restaurant a little down the way. He grinned.

"Perfect," he said, setting the long, black case down before reaching for his walkie-talkie. He pressed a button and asked, "Is the target still at the restaurant? Over."

" Affirmative. Over. "

"Well… yes and no," Stolas answered rather embarrassingly. "At least, not publicly. It's… really complicated and-"

"Is it Xein?"

Stolas blinked, "Excuse me?"

"Is Xein your boyfriend?"

Stolas blinked again, taking a moment to process what he had just heard. "W… I'm sorry, but why do you say that?"

"Look, I'm not sure about it. I'm aware that I'm just speculating at this point. As to why… Well, for one, the guy just became your butler, and I couldn't help but notice that he hovers around you a good chunk of the time. It's like he's trying to hide something, and I thought maybe you two might be a thing."

Stolas raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, I said I'm speculating here. I don't know what you're into. I mean, even if it was true… then I can see why you might want to keep it a secret. Are you worried that it would cause some kind of scandal because he's an imp?"

"... Via, Xein is not my boyfriend."

"He's not?"

Her father shook his head. "No. I don't have an eye on any demon at the moment."

"... Well, that's rather vague, isn't it?"

"As I said, it's complicated on both our ends."

"Do I know him?"

"I highly doubt it. And to be fair, unlike me, he hasn't exactly… come out yet. You can say he's in the closet… in more ways than one."

"... Well, that doesn't narrow it down at all. I'm stumped about who it could- Oh! Is it…" Octavia looked over her shoulder before whispering, " A human? "

Stolas folded his arms, "I am neither confirming nor denying it. I'm afraid I might have said too much."

"But you didn't say anything… wait, no …." Octavia mused, "If the guy is in the closet… then maybe that's why. You're trying to protect his identity."

"That's one way of putting it." Stolas sighed, "All I can say is that I feel sorry for him in many ways. He has gone through so much, lost so much… He has spent years trying to rebuild from the ground up. Given who he's around, and if they found out he was dating me… I can't say what sort of chaos it would unleash. He may say that he doesn't mind, but between you and me, I think having to pretend all the time is eating him from the inside. However, I understand why. It's not that he wants to keep it a secret, but he feels he has to for security."

His daughter was quiet for a moment. "Nobody should live like that." She shook her head. "Do you think I'll ever get to meet him?"

A good sniper's nest camouflages the environment one is in. And so, after rearranging some boxes and a curtain of costumes in front of the now open windows, all that was left was to unpack his tools.

A long-range rifle with a scope, a silencer, and some very special bullets, courtesy of his employer. Bullets that were so special, he had to wear gloves just to pick them up to load the gun.

Once everything was in place, he poked through the curtain of costumes to spy out his scope at the restaurant down the street. Immediately he found the restaurant and its front windows. But he frowned when he didn't see Stolas in his line of sight.

"Can someone confirm that the target hasn't moved? Over." he asked in his walkie-talkie.

" I still have a visual. Over. "

"Where is he exactly? I can't see him…." Then, he spotted Octavia. "Hang on… I see the Princess. Over."

" The target is right across from her. Over. "

The demon let go of the button. " Well, shit… " He cursed under his breath. Because from where he could see, there was a column in a corner that completely blocked his view of the prince.

It was inconvenient, but as long as he had a good idea where Stolas was, he'd wait.

Their meals arrived a minute later. While Stolas and Octavia were talking, a table was cleared and prepped. Behind Octavia, the staff in white were hurrying to clear away the table and reset it with clean plates and silverware. It went unnoticed by the two disguised owl demons as they began to eat their lunch. However, that changed as Stolas once more felt that skin-crawling sensation from earlier.

Looking over his shoulder, he spotted a waiter showing a family to the table behind Octavia. A family composed of a wife, a husband, and a daughter. But what really got Stolas's attention was the angel trio that followed overhead, still invisible to all except him. He watched as they seemed to loom over the restaurant, even settling on one of its many iron chandeliers.

He and Blitzo spotted each other as soon as the other family settled in.

Of course, as soon as they spotted each other, they immediately looked away. Stolas looked down at his dish with the thought of: Of all the places in New York, of all the places to eat, why did they come here?

Meanwhile, Blitzo nearly jumped when he realized that his lover was not only in the same restaurant but mere feet away.

"You okay, sir?" Moxxie asked.

"Y-Yeah, yeah. I'm fine!" Blitzo clenched the chandelier's chain, not looking at either of his employees.

Millie blinked. Turning to her husband, she asked, "Is it me, or is Blitz more jumpy than usual?"

"I'm not jumpy !" Blitzo unintentionally shouted.

Octavia looked over her shoulder. "What was that?"

"Sorry?" Stolas looked up, pretending not to know what she was talking about.

She didn't respond right away, looking this way and that behind her. "That's weird. I could have sworn I heard someone shout just now. Only…" She shrugged. "Maybe I was hearing things."

Stolas glanced upward for only a moment, but he saw that the three angels overhead gave Octavia some weird looks.

"Wait." Millie pointed at her." Did she just…?"

"No, it couldn't be." Moxxie scratched his head. "That invisibility spell shouldn't allow anyone to see or hear us."

"It's just probably a coincidence," Biltzo nervously said. "I'm sure the spell is working. B-Besides, this place is noisy anyway."

"But she said someone shouted," Millie pointed out. "Nobody was doing that except you."

After taking a bite of her eggplant, Octavia looked over her shoulder. Behind her was the little girl who was looking through a menu. "Hey, kid, excuse me?" The little girl looked over her shoulder, "Sorry, but, did you say something just now?"

"What?"

"... I'll take that as a no. Uh, never mind." Octavia turned back to her plate but noticed her father raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"Is something wrong, Via?"

"No, I don't think so." She stuck a pinkie in her ear to see if it was clogged up. "But for some weird reason, I could swear I heard someone talking behind me."

Above, Moxxie and Millie looked at each other. "Did…" Moxxie leaned over to his wife, " Can she hear us? "

"N-No, of course not!" Blitzo laughed uneasily. "It's probably nothing and not really worth our attention one bit. Hey! Is the mother choking on a grape?"

"Who's choking on what?" Octavia once again looked over her shoulder. Meanwhile, Stolas was anxiously pulling on his collar.

"You saw that too, did ya?" Millie pointed out. "She heard that… I wonder…"

"Mills? What are you doing?" Blitzo glanced over at Stolas, alarmed that their secret was on the verge of being discovered.

Millie floated down, put a hand to her mouth, and whispered in Octavia's ear, " Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. "

Octavia looked in her direction. It was clear that she did hear her but still couldn't see anything. "Okay, now I'm sure I heard someone."

"Via, do you want to maybe go to the restroom to clear your head a bit?" Stolas was sweating bullets at this point. "You seem rather tense."

"No, I just heard a lady whispering a tongue twister in my ear. What the Hell's going on?"

"Is this lady psychic?" Millie questioned.

"Wait, I thought psychics didn't exist?" Moxxie narrowed his eyes, his suspicions growing by the second. "Is it me, or is there something… fishy about these two?"

Stolas could feel himself being strangled by the increasing dread that they were about to be discovered. He had - no, must - do something and fast. A distraction of some kind. Reaching into his pockets, he felt around for that slip of paper. Unfolding it under the table and glancing down to see if there was something - anything he could use.

Then he found it. Touching the window's glass, Stolas closed all his eyes as he whispered the spell under his breath, " Uran ol page. "

Within a moment, the window facing the street was covered in a thin coating of an illusion spell. A loud whistle was heard that caught most of the restaurant's attention. Then there was the sound of a drum rhythm where they saw something coming up from the street. A parade, seemingly out of nowhere, was marching up the road. Bands marched to the beat as they came in strange yet colorful uniforms in nearly every rainbow color. Confetti cannons shot out, and streamers that seemed to come out of nowhere flew by next to the giant balloons of owls and rams. Not only that, there were even floats that ran by that advertised chocolate milk and hugs. Trapeze artists were swinging from balloon to balloon over a brass band. A herd of zebras in glitter trot by while contortionists twist themselves on the saddle. Here a lion is taming a man with a whip. Their clowns cartoonishly chase after a toy car. And up the street, in a shiny red car, was a man with a ridiculously long mustache nearly reaching from one end of the road to the other with a sign reading: World's Strangest Circus .

"Mom, Dad, look!" the little girl behind Octavia stood on her seat excitedly. "Look, there's a parade!"

"Huh?" Millie looked over, along with everyone else. "What's going on?"

"Is that a circus?" Moxxie asked as a herd of elephants marched by while leopards rode them. "In the streets of New York of all places?"

While the two angels were thoroughly confused at the strange sight before them, Blitzo nudged his head over towards the front door.

Taking his hand off the glass and seeing that the illusion had stuck, Stolas took hold of Octavia's wrist. "Come along, Octavia. We need to go." Urging towards the entrance of the restaurant.

"Dad, what are you doing?" her daughter protested. "We haven't finished lunch yet."

"I uh, just remembered there's a… a thing happening today in-"

"But we haven't paid yet."

"I'll mail them the bill later, but right now, we need to- AH! " Stolas crashed into a waiter carrying a tray of drinks that splashed on him. The illusion that Stolas was holding up was instantly dropped at the exact moment. The surreal circus electric parade all at once disappeared, and all the noisy music had gone quiet. Around the restaurant, they shrugged and went back to their meals.

"Oh shit, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there." the waiter apologized, taking off the apron around his white uniform to hand it to Stolas.

"No, it's… fine…." Stolas took the apron to dry himself, holding back his anger.

"Dad, what's got into you?" Octavia questioned. "Why are you acting all weird?"

" ... C'mon… C'mon… Move, damnit! " The Sniper mumbled. Through the periscope, he could see that Stolas had moved from his seat. However, he couldn't take the shot, partly because Stolas was moving erratically and partly because Octavia and the waiter they'd bumped into were in the way.

"We just need to get going," Stolas told her. "I'll explain later. We just need to-"

"What for?" Octavia questioned. "What the Hell's going on? First, I hear voices, then that circus thing that appeared and disappeared out of nowhere, and now you're rushing out without even paying? What the fuck's going on?"

"What was that about paying?" the waiter asked, picking up the glasses spilled on the floor. "You know you can't leave until you paid the bill."

"Sir," Moxxie reached into his coat pocket, feeling for his pistol. "Something is very suspicious about those two over there. Should we get the girl out?" He looked over his shoulder, only to find their boss had disappeared. "Sir?"

"Look, I will pay you, but we must leave now," Stolas told the waiter. "Now please step aside and-" A glob of spaghetti in red sauce splatted on the side of his head. Now ticked off, he turned his head toward where the flying noodles came from and saw Blitzo pointing at a lady as if to say, ' She did it! ' "Oh, that's it!" Stolas grasped onto a handful of spaghetti and threw it at the lady, hitting squarely behind her head.

" Ahh! My hair!" the lady screamed. She looked over her shoulder and immediately found Stolas. So in response, she picked up her salad bowl and flung it at him. However, her aim was off; instead, the bowl landed at another table. From one table to the next, food was thrown across, and before anyone realized what was happening, the restaurant had exploded in an all-out food fight. The pasta was tossed while dessert was sent back in exchange. Soda and salad flew and splatted on unassuming guests. Wine and sandwiches stained the tablecloth, the customers, and the walls. Meatballs, alfredo sauce, cheese bread, Caesar salad, eggplants, and menus were caught in a food storm as customers weren't entirely sure who they were throwing at.

The sniper reached for his walkie-talkie, his eye still on the restaurant. "Hey, can anyone explain what the fuck is happening right now? Over."

" Looks like a food fight. It started for no reason, and I can barely see what's going on. Over. "

" Shall we go in? Over? " another voice asked.

"Negative," said the Sniper. "If anyone is taking out Stolas, it's gonna be me. Don't move from your positions. I repeat, do not move without me saying so. Over."

Taking a moment to breathe deeply, the Sniper steadied himself. Sooner or later, Stolas would give him a clear shot.

"You know what, fuck it." Octavia reached into her pocket, pulled out her wallet, and grabbed a wad of cash to hand to the waiter. "Here, I'll pay for both of us."

"Okay. "The waiter ducked as a cannoli flew over his head. "I guess I'll get you your change."

Stolas, who probably wasn't paying much attention, glanced at the three angels. The two smaller ones were trying to avoid getting hit, while Blitzo waved an arm frantically, urging him to get out.

"Via, we need to get out here." He grabbed her wrist again and pulled her to the restaurant's front door.

" Stolas is heading toward the front door, " a voice from the walkie-talkie said.

"Copy that." The Sniper readied himself. He turned the safety off.

"Seriously, Dad, what the living fuck has gotten into you?" Octavia questioned, her dad pushing through the front glass door.

"I said I will explain later. We just need to-"

"No!" Octavia yanked herself out of her father's grip. "I've already had five weird-as-shit things happen in under three minutes. Seriously, you haven't even begun to explain what the fuck just happened back there or why you've been so jumpy."

The Sniper wrapped his index finger around the trigger. "Just a little more, Your Highness. Take one more step…"

"Look, I can't explain because we're in great danger," Stolas told her.

"From what!? The sauce is too spicy or getting a paper cut from a-"

"Via, please listen to me for a moment!"

"No, you listen! I didn't see anything remotely dangerous before you got all weird out of nowhere! I don't know about you, but I'm confused about what happened back there."

"And I promise you I will explain everything. We just need to get-"

The restaurant door opened with the same waiter walking out. "Oh, there you two are. You nearly left before I got a signature for your bill." He held up a thin black booklet with a pen sticking out. "You didn't put down a tip or anything yet."

"Are you fu… ugh, fine! Fine, give it here." Stolas extended a hand. The waiter approached him, and Stolas flipped the booklet open, seeing some cash and a few blank receipts. He stepped into the light to sign his initials.

The Sniper smiled. " There you are… "

"Here." Stolas handed the booklet back.

The waiter walked around, taking it. "And again, sorry for spilling all those drinks on-"

Crash!

Before Stolas could process what had happened, the waiter fell over, and one of the large windows suddenly shattered. Screams were heard from the restaurant. At his feet, there was a hole in the waiter's head, and blood was forming a puddle on the sidewalk.

" Oh, Lucifer! " Stolas gasped in shock as he took another step back.

Crash!

Another gunshot. And another shattered window.

By now, several things happened all at once.

First, Stolas sensed that the bullet that narrowly missed him was powerful. Angelic in nature, like the steel of an Exterminator's spear. A chill ran down his back at the cold energy that zipped by him.

Second, people began to panic with gunshots ringing up and down the street. From the road and some from the restaurant, hundreds of people ran, ducked, or dodged from the shooter. Customers rushed out from the restaurant's doors like a flash flood, sweeping Octavia and Stolas along with the crowd. And like being swept up in a river, the two demons were powerless as people pushed and shoved them in two opposing currents.

Third, a few police cars on petrol noticed the crowd and the gunshots and pulled over. They called for backup after the third gunshot and a few people keeling over.

Fourth, during the third gunshot, the people around Stolas suddenly fell with bullet holes in their bodies. He quickly realized what was happening - all these gunshots were meant for him. This was an assassination. So, pulling himself into a narrow alleyway, he kept himself low and out of sight.

Pulling out his phone, he paused momentarily, realizing he didn't know where his daughter was. In the heat of the moment, he pulled up the text messages and started typing to Blitzo.

Find Octavia now. I last saw her being swept in the crowd heading towards Broadway. There's an assassin that's after me. Be careful.

After hitting the send button, Stolas fled from the panicking street into the back alleys. He wasn't sure where he was going or what to do, but Stolas was confident that he was in no position to do anything until his daughter was safe and he knew who was after him.

When Blitzo heard the gunshots, he quickly ordered Moxxie and Millie to cover their primary target. Everything went off in a blaze of confusion as residents started screaming and running in all directions. Their target family had the same idea and started running with the crowd. I wanted a distraction, but not this!

Unfortunately, due to the confusion around him, Blitzo didn't have a chance to figure out where the shots were coming from. Something in his gut told him that this was no average sniper, which was only confirmed when he got a text from Stolas. Three emotions went through Blitzo when he learned that Stolas was being targeted by their mysterious assassin.

The first was fear. Fear that his lover was being hunted down. And if he was this frightened, they had to be carrying serious heat to try and take Stolas down, even if his powers on Earth were limited. Losing Stolas would break him. He knew this. Deep inside, Blitzo feared his experiences in Hell would ruin him, and Stolas' love was what kept him sane.

The second was anger. Nobody fucking hurts Stolas. Nobody. Angel or Demon. Whoever this assassin was, he was dead. Not if or when, but how. He owed — and loved — Stolas so much that he would fight anyone to protect him. He would never see a feather harmed on Stolas, rules be damned.

The third was concern. Much as Blitzo wanted to go save Stolas, Octavia was also in danger. Hell's nobility were infamous for trying to rub each other off, so the assassin could very well be targeting them both. He also knew Stolas would never forgive himself if something happened to Octavia. It was something that Blitzo, being a somewhat father figure to Loona, could understand.

Praying that Stolas could look after himself, Blitzo turned to Moxxie and Millie, who were both worried and confused about what to do. He couldn't blame them. "Guys! Look after our girl! I'll go find the sniper and stop him!"

"Sir! Be careful!" Moxxie shouted as he and his wife flew in the last known direction of their V.I.P.

Blitzo was glad they didn't ask any questions. He debated telling them the truth, but time was running out. The gunshots had stopped, and it was clear that the assassin had moved, seeing as he had failed to hit his target. However, this was a big city, and a supernatural demon assassin it would not have to worry about local law enforcement stopping it.

Speaking of the N.Y.P.D., already there were officers on the scene, taking cover and looking up for the shooter while guiding residents to cover or off the streets. Blitzo spread his wings and flew into the air to get a better vantage point. Say what you would about the local police, but when shit went down, they were prepared for it. He could see the streets locked down as armored cars containing S.W.A.T. and Anti-Terrorism Units were unloading with squads sent to strategic vantage points. Hopefully, the assassin didn't cause too much of a scene and caused more death.

Now I just gotta find Octavia, Blitzo thought as he flew around, scanning the crowds below. Hopefully she has that beanie Stolas says she's always wearing, or this is going to be like finding a needle in a haystack.

Octavia had never run so fast in all her life, nor had she ever feel more afraid than now. Someone was shooting in public. Someone after her father. Her father tried to warn her and get her out of there because he could already sense the danger, but she delayed them in her idiocy.

And now they were separated and on the run for their lives.

Octavia wanted to kick herself, but her legs were too busy running, trying to find her father while also worrying about a gunshot ringing in the air. She needed to find out where or if she was still in the Times Square area. Forcing herself to a halt, Octavia took a deep breath and looked around. People were still panicking, some with their phones out for some reason, and she had no idea where she was. None of the buildings or stores looked familiar, but she could tell she was at least further inland.

"Dad..." Octavia bit her lip and felt her heart beating at the thought of him in danger. She knew that he couldn't reveal his demonic form in public — that would catch them in deep trouble from both Hell and Heaven — but if the demon targeting them knew who Dad was explicitly, then it had to be a fellow demon. But who? Or what? Are they magical? Do they have Angel Steel weapons? Are they alone?

Taking a deep breath, Octavia tried to calm herself down while reaching into her pockets to find her phone. When she discovered that it was missing, she cursed. "Shit, I left it on the table at that restaurant! Ugh! I just got that one four months ago! How am I going to find Dad now?!"

The crowd had separated them, and if the assassins were after him specifically, then Stolas would do everything in his power to keep them away from Octavia. The young princess was at a loss for what to do. I could find the police. Dad's still in his human form, so I can pretend we're not demons.

Deciding it was a better plan than she had with anything else, Octavia was about to head out when a hand grabbed her from behind and dragged her into the alley before tossing her on the floor. Moaning, Octavia looked up and saw a large Hispanic man grinning at her with a look in his eyes that she didn't like. "Hey, little girl? Lost? Scared?"

"What the fuck do you want?" Octavia growled as she got up but was pushed back down again by the man.

"What do I want? Just twenty minutes of your time," he said as he licked his lips, looking down at Octavia's body as if it were a juicy piece of meat. "Twenty minutes of you, chica ."

"Are you crazy?! There is a sniper out there killing people!" Octavia screamed in disgust as the pervert inched closer despite her scuttling away.

"I know. And all the cops will be too busy looking for him while I have time to enjoy myself with you," he replied, unzipping his zipper. "This can all go much smoother if you don't resist."

Growling, Octavia got up and prepared to summon fire to her hands to blast this creep apart. Rules be damned. I'm not letting this asshole have his way with me.

She was about to cast a spell when someone grabbed the man from behind, turned him around, and punched him in the face. The rapist was knocked into a trash can and growled only, to gasp upon seeing a uniformed police officer, tan caucasian with brown hair, growling at him in disgust. The rapist cursed in Spanish before attempting to knock him back with the lid of the trashcan, but the officer knocked it away before grabbing the pervert and forcing him onto the wall.

"Hey! Hey! I surrender! I know my rights! We're cool! We're cool!" the rapist yelled, surrendering his arms while attempting to calm his attacker down.

"Cool?! You were attempting to rape a seventeen-year-old girl! How is that cool?!" the officer shouted in disgust. Octavia relaxed upon seeing the situation being handled, but she could have sworn his purple eyes were glowing.

"It's just a big misunderstanding!" the bastard said with a nervous smile as he lowered his hands. Octavia watched as one of them went to the back of his pocket. "Come on. I've always supported the NYPD."

Octavia's eyes widened as the hand pulled out a switch knife, and she was about to warn the officer when he caught the hand that was coming up with the blade in a flash. The nervous attacker was terrified as the officer squeezed his hand and twisted it, causing him to yell and force it out of his hands before throwing him onto the ground. Cracking his neck, the officer said, "You know what NYPD stands for?"

Growling, the attempted rapist tried to attack the officer, but a swift right hook knocked him back. "'Nock!"

He tried a swing with his other arm, but it was blocked and left him open for a knee to the gut. "Your!"

In complete surprise, the officer spun around and backhanded the human so hard there was a crack, and blood came out of his nose. "Punkass!"

The dazed and bleeding rapist stumbled to the wall and pushed off in an attempt to tackle the officer, but the lawman charged forward with a yell of his own and jumped up. The rapist's eyes widened as the officer's foot slammed into his face and knocked him off his feet, flipping him before landing on the ground with a large thud. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he was out for the count.

Landing on his feet, the officer dusted himself off and said, "Down."

Octavia now really wished she did have her phone with her. Because that? That was awesome.

Blitzo didn't know if God was looking out for him or was just that lucky, but he was glad he saw Octavia when he did. Having seen so many photos of her with that beanie from Stolas, it didn't take long for Blitzo to recognize that the young girl being dragged into an alley as he was flying by was Octavia. Obviously, the sick pervert wanted to use the chaos to get some easy tail and saw Octavia as a perfect victim. Blitzo wouldn't let that happen to anyone, regardless of who it was, and took on the disguise of a human police officer to deal with the trash.

He wasn't even that tough, and he saw that blade coming a mile away.

Dusting his hands, he turned to the stunned Octavia and smiled comfortably at her. It also occurred to him that this was the first time he was finally meeting his lover's daughter. Granted, she wasn't in her natural form, but Blitzo didn't care. Even though Blitzo knew Stolas loved him, nobody was more valued in the Prince's world than his daughter. It was something that Blitzo truly respected, having come to love Loona as his own daughter after her adoption.

Clearing his throat, Blitzo put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest like a superhero. "Are you alright, citizen?"

Octavia raised her eyebrow upon hearing that, and Blitzo wondered if that was too cheesy of a line. "Who are you?"

"Um, Officer… uh… Rogers!"

"So why does your name tag say, Officer Brandon?" Octavia pointed out.

Looking down at his name tag, Blitzo cursed his lack of focus in his transformation and replied, "Uh, that's my first name. Officer Brandon Rogers."

"Right, um…" Octavia rubbed the back of her head. "Thanks for saving me. Do I… um, reward you or..."

"Oh! Nothing like that! Helping others is both a duty and an honor," Blitzo said with a smile before getting serious. "But right now, you need to find someplace safe. We have an armed murderer on the loose, and we need all citizens to be safe to find him."

"W-Wait! I need your help!" Octavia said quickly before rushing over and grabbing his hand. "My father! He and I got separated and… I need to find him! Please!"

"I can find your father, but you really need-"

"No, you don't understand! I need to find him! He's… he's practically the only family I have in my life!" Octavia begged, biting her lip. "Look, I'm not asking to go into the shooting area or anything like that. I'll even take a cell phone and call him to see if he's okay. But please help me!"

Blitzo looked into her pleading eyes and sighed. "Alright, but first, let's get as far away from the shooting as possible. I got a cellphone. You can call your father, and we'll go from there, okay?"

"Yes! Thank you!" Octavia said with a bright smile.

"Alright, then let's go," Blitzo said, grabbing her arm and guiding her out of the alley, but not before letting Octavia kick her would-be-rapist in the balls as they passed by.

"Boss, did you get the target?"

"Negative. I missed him. How bad is the lockdown?"

"We're able to move around Boss. We're also keeping an eye on the checkpoints in case Stolas is near one of them."

"Good. Looks like we're going to have to hunt him. Any sign of his daughter?"

"Negative. But we'll keep looking."

"Good. Remember, she can't be touched. Our client wants her unharmed."